President may lose power to appoint INEC bossELECTORAL reforms being championed by the House of Representatives may open the coast for independent candidates to contest the 2015 general elections. The National Assembly had in its amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act disallowed independent candidacy for the 2011 polls.In fact, the Legislature placed insurmountable hurdles before Nigerians and civil groups pressing for independent candidature in the nation's polity. But that is gradually giving way as the Lower House is reconsidering the demand that interested Nigerians be allowed to run in electoral race on non-party basis.The House of Representatives, which announced fresh plans to reconsider the issues of independent candidacy for the 2015 elections and the appointment of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said they were matters that could not be wished away.Independent candidature was part of the recommendations of the Justice Muhammadu Uwais-led Electoral Committee, which also suggested that the National Judicial Council (NJC), and not the President be given the power to appoint the INEC chairman.At a meeting with a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the National Assembly complex yesterday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Jerry Mangwe, said the two issues were among the measures the Legislature would reconsider in its commitment to strengthening the electoral process.He said: 'The committee will soon come up with an action plan on how we can perfect the electoral process. The issue of reconsidering independent candidature and appointment of INEC chairman would be taken up by my committee at an expanded meeting with civil society organisations and other stakeholders.'We at the National Assembly are very committed to strengthening the electoral process and giving it the credibility it deserves.'The coalition, led by the Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Moshood Erubami, had asked the panel to take serious steps in advancing the course of credible elections in the country by effecting appropriate amendments to the Constitution and the Electoral Act to legalise independent candidature as well as empowering the NJC to appoint the INEC boss.The group asked the Legislature to unbundle INECto make it more focused and effective in the conduct of elections.Erubami also sought the introduction of electronic voting to enhance the transparency of the electoral process.The coalition further canvassed the transfer of the responsibilities of political party registration to a separate body and the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission to try polls malpractices.Others were the setting up of a Centre for Democratic Studies to co-ordinate voter education; democratic standards, including enfranchising election day workers like security men, observers, journalists and INEC officials.The group also wants the observation of African Union (AU) standards and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols, which prevent the changing of electoral laws within six months of an election; exploring future application of technology in the electoral process.The House has also announced plans to amend existing legislations to merge some agencies considered to be performing overlapping functions in the science and technology industry.Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, Abiodun Akinlade, who addressed officials of the Science and Technology Ministry and its agencies at the National Assembly yesterday, disclosed that the measure was to reduce cost of governance.The lawmaker told the officials that the committee would insist on having all outstanding projects in the ministry completed even as he added that only projects that are extremely necessary would be initiated and funded by the House.The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Dr. Dere Awosika, who represented the minister, Prof. Okon Bassey Ewa, insisted that there was no case of functions overlap among the agencies. She told the committee that there was a misconception that the ministry had over 50 agencies instead of 17.Meanwhile, Senate President David Mark has led a Nigerian delegation, comprising five senators and four members of the Lower House to the 125th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) holding in Geneva, Switzerland. In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, in Abuja yesterday, Mark said the delegation left Abuja on Sunday and would participate in the global conference, which would focus on promoting and practising good governance as a means of advancing peace and security, drawing lessons from the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa.Other areas of deliberation, according to him,are access to health as a basic right, the role of parliaments in addressing key challenges to security andhealth of women and children.Lawmakers on the delegation are the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, Senators Abdulaziz Usman, Ahmed Hassan Barat, Helen Esuene and Ehigie Edobor Uzamere.Others are Daniel Reineiju, Binta Mohammed and Shehu Bawa Garba.
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